The 04/06/2016
According to one study led by the team of Professor Niels Erik Skakkebæk of Rigshospitalet Hospital in Denmark, ultraviolet (UV) filtering chemicals, commonly used in sunscreens, could harm sperm.
Consequences on sperm mobility
This news risks cooling more than one … According to a Danish study, presented at the last congress of the Endocrine Society which has just been held in Boston, in the United States, 45% of sunscreens authorized in Europe and in the United States would adversely affect sperm mobility. The chemicals present in these products act as endocrine disruptors and have consequences on male fertility.
“These findings are concerning and may partly explain why unexplained infertility is so prevalent,” said Niels Skakkebaek, professor at the University of Copenhagen and author of the study. To reach these conclusions, he followed for 15 years nearly 5,000 men aged 19 on average.
Results discussed
But not all doctors share this opinion. And some are already warning against this kind of information. Moms of young boys, for example, shouldn’t be afraid to protect their children’s skin on the beach. “If such a risk existed, measures would have already been taken”, reminded Dr. Chris Flower, member of the Association of toiletries and perfumes.
If other studies will indeed have to be carried out, to fully understand the role of UV filters in human fertility, Professor Niels Skakkebaek’s team asked the authorities to take their study very seriously. “We are recommended to protect ourselves with sunscreens, yet it seems that they contain chemicals that can interfere with the quality of sperm,” he said. “If I had to advise my own family, I would advise against its use.”
Read also: Protecting yourself from the sun: 20 questions and answers
